Obtaining a medical sales job requires more than just the medical skills and knowledge needed to successfully sell the products. You need to demonstrate that you have a number of other vital skills as well.
8 Vital Skills to be Successful in Medical Sales
Many of these skills are enhanced or obtained while attending college, as the process of getting a degree teaches you soft skills like communication and time management, but they can be obtained in other ways as well. Read on to find out the top eight vital skills to help you find success as a medical sales rep.
- Communication Skills
A good medical sales rep has the ability to communicate clearly and professionally in a myriad of ways. For example, they can send emails and text messages that get their point across while still being courteous and professional.
They also know how to make targeted phone calls that get their point across and keep potential customers on the line while they pitch their services.
2. Customer Service Skills
Since you’ll be working with customers, you need to be able to anticipate their needs and answer their questions. In addition, you’ll have to follow up with them after they receive their products to ensure that everything goes well. This is the best way to get follow-up sales and repeat customers
3. Organization Skills
There’s quite a bit of paperwork that comes with being a medical sales rep. You’ll need to be appropriately organized in order to keep it all straight. Plus, you have many different things to track, from customer information and appointments to meetings with your supervisor and co-workers. Without good organizational skills, things could end up being quite a mess.
4. Time Management Skills
If you know how to effectively manage your time in order to get everything done, then you’re in good shape. If not, there are numerous tools that you can use, such as the pomodoro method, that can keep you on track.
Since a medical sales rep has a lot of different things to balance, it’s crucial to have good time management skills.
5. Interpersonal Skills
Communication and interpersonal skills are related, but different. One refers the ability to communicate clearly in numerous ways, and the other refers to how you relate to other people.
You need to be able to talk to your customers, understand their problems and come up with ways to illustrate just how your products solve their issues. Plus, understanding how to respond to phone calls and put out proverbial fires will only help you in the long run.
6. Research Skills
Although medical companies give their representatives a number of different tools, from sales literature to studies, you also need to do some of your own research. It’s up to you to find additional studies that can support your sales, and know how to find medical workers who might be interested in buying your products. Good research skills help with both of these and will help you meet those sales goals.
7. Computer Skills
While you don’t need to know how to program a computer in order to work as a medical sales rep, you do need to be able to use various computer programs well. You’ll most likely end up using Google or Microsoft Office software to create presentations and spreadsheets, and you may opt for a sales capturing program to track all of your customers and prospects. Without solid computer skills, you’ll be left in the proverbial dust.
8. Market Knowledge
How well do you know the medical sales market? It takes a bit more than just reading a few studies online. You need to do a deep dive into the specific market surrounding the products that you’ll be selling in order to find ways to approach existing customers and new niches to market to in order to expand your customer base.
Obtaining Vital Skills
These eight vital skills are just some of the many that a good medical sales rep possesses. If you want to get into medical sales but think that your skills are lacking, find ways to enhance them. A little bit of practice each day goes a long way towards honing the skills that will help you get your dream job in the exciting medical sales industry.